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Moonsong
Brianna, known publicly as , is a hero still trying to be a hero in a post heroic world. Personality Brianna comes from a background of privilege having her father being a congressman. She was instilled with strict, competency-demanding hierarchical mindset from the early age, leading to her becoming status-conscious and unnecessarily judgemental“Vista. I thought you should know.” The thought rocked Brianna. That wasn’t even minor competition, it wasn’t a trashy rebound, or… Fuck, she was still thinking in terms of status, of pecking orders and being on top. Of not being on top in this particular pecking order. - Excerpt from Interlude 19.d II and having a complicated relationships with both non-conforming persons of her old team. However, she was somewhat supportive of them and almost immediately took honest liking to Byron Vera and still is very protective about him. Faced with the straightforward supremacists in her new team, Brianna was pushed to rethink her values and behavior further.Kay gave her the hug. It was uncomfortable, with a lot of self-consciousness, and wondering if her mom was looking, knowing what Kay was about, and judging. Which sucked, because she’d been making a renewed, concerted effort to let her judgments go since she’d found out about the three ex-nazis joining, seen some of their behaviors and attitudes, especially Eagleflight, who hadn’t been anything close to subtle, and who had been kicked out in short order. She’d connected her own reactions to how Byron must have seen her. - Excerpt from Interlude 19.d II Moonsong herself has admitted that she was homophobic in the past, though it is something she has been working on.“Well, I can tell you I’ve been there. Not as intense as what you got as far as… picking up on what others were saying around me. But it doesn’t feel like thought control now. I used to be homophobic. I’m… better, I guess. I think it’s a weird thing to do, but I can roll with it. An old teammate resurfaced, came back from the dead, actually, and reminded me-” - Excerpt from Interlude 17.z II Relationships Parents Her father is a politician who landed on his feet after the end of the World.“You can call me by my name, Dave,” Brianna’s father said. “And I’m not a Congressman, nor am I a Councillor.” - Excerpt from Infrared 19.d The Capricorn Twins One of her most hated person and one of her more favorite. Her hate of Tristan is enough that people can be tainted in association. Furcate Used male pronouns with them during their Reach time and was a source of constant unspecified grievances. Brianna acted more thoughtful with resurrected Furcate. Appearance Brianna is a dark haired brunette, even as a younger teenager she was noticeably attractive.Raven-haired, wearing a dress-ish costume that she wouldn’t have gotten away with in the Wards, her legs long and slender. Like the others, fine molded metal was persistent across the design, and hers had crescent moons and discs with crescents worked into it, extending up from shoulders and from her mask in a diadem or crown style. She could have played a princess in a movie. Her mask left more of her face exposed, enough that Byron could see her lips, painted with lipstick. For whatever reason, Tristan noticed it, focused on it, and Byron was treated to a view of the slight smile. - Excerpt from Interlude 9.x II She has a small mole by her eye.Pretty, with a beauty mark by her eye, lined up enough with where her eyelashes ended that it looked like it had been drawn or tattooed on. Wavy black hair - Excerpt from Black 13.1 She is of mixed heritage, with a Japanese father and an Italian mother.Her father was by the entrance, ... He was Japan-born, with very broad shoulders and a broad jaw, a thin mustache and a goatee like an arrow that pointed down from his lower lip to his chin, his hair slicked back with two parts hair stuff, one part sweat. ... He looked over at her mother, his eyes damp. Brianna turned to look. Her mother sat on the corner of the bed, a meek little woman of Italian descent, the only one with dry eyes. She wondered if it was because those tears had already been shed and exhausted. - Excerpt from Interlude 19.d II A recurrent theme of her costume was moons, either in a familiar crescent shape or with crescents etched into disks. The costume itself is repeatedly described as dress-like, with a slit down one side.A teenager with a moon design on her mask and dress-like costume. ... The cheering had drawn attention. The teenage girl with the moons on her costume approached, ducking beneath one of the burly guy’s arms. She spotted me, saw that last exchange, and drew close to me, putting one hand on my shoulder. - Excerpt from Flare 2.1...she saw Moonsong approaching. Brown haired, wearing a costume with a dress built in, a slit down one side. A moon motif, of course, played into everything, from mask to shoulder decoration, belt, and bracers. - Excerpt from Interlude 17.z II Moonsong sometimes applies her power to herself for cosmetic effect. Abilities and Powers Moonsong is a gravity manipulator who can create multiple conflicting gravity fields within an area.There was a shudder, and then my hair started to move. The light further down the hallway seemed to grow darker, and my stomach lurched in a sensation that I connected to a lot of aerial acrobatics. ... I stepped forward, ready to put myself between them, and I felt the stomach-lurching sensation again. My leg buckled, and I nearly fell. My hair was floating now, and my legs were straining, almost locked in position with the stress of keeping me upright. Gravity manipulation, but somehow a mix of zero-grav and enhanced gravity. I flew instead of walking, and it was hard to keep my position. I stopped when I was between Tristan and the other two. “This isn’t helpful.” “Victoria,” Moonsong said. “I’m going to tell you how this goes.” I felt the gravity shift again, an attempt to put me down against the floor, and threw up my forcefield to avoid twisting my ankle or hitting the ground too hard. I was glad my skirt wasn’t the kind that could flip up, as it hugged my thighs, but my midriff was exposed now. - Excerpt from Glare 3.6With her power, she adjusted tolerances and tensions. Made indents less, made them more. An increased tension in the fabric at the front and center of the tent served to make everything lighter. Her father stood easily, and picked up a heavy box with just as much ease. It was easier to expand the ‘donut’ of increased tension than to cancel it and start it again. Moving from where she stood or being interrupted saw everything snap back to normal. A snap back to normal could be disastrous, if her father was holding something fragile. - Excerpt from Infrared 19.d Seemingly able to manipulate overlapping gravity environments to throw people around. Brianna has a thinker-aspect, that allows her to perceive gravity wells.She squared her feet, drew in a deep breath, and then tinted her vision, tapping into that other set of senses that let her see the world through her power. Mass was an indent in the world, however slight, and that indent saw things drawn toward the mass, even if by insignificant fractions. The world itself, the big magnificent globe they all lived in, produced an indent so steep that they were all pulled directly into it. - Excerpt from Infrared 19.d Effects produced by her break if she loses concentration, for example, has to move with care.Paris twisted around and threw darts toward the roof Moonsong stood on. She had to move, and as she did, the gravity effect broke. - Excerpt from Interlude 9.y IIShe felt like she sometimes did if she lost focus while trying to maneuver with her gravity well doing more than one thing at once. Like there wasn’t even ground or equilibrium in easy reach. - Excerpt from Infrared 19.d She can apply the power to herself while moving to make it near-silent,Moonsong made no sound while she walked, and her hair had some float to it. Reducing her own gravity or something. - Excerpt from Interlude 17.z II moving purely with her power, however, strains her attention significantly.She removed her father’s hands from her head, holding them in her own, and then she used her power. It took doing to maintain the focus and tensions when floating, which meant her mind wasn’t on what her father had just said, or the fact she was seeing him cry for the first time in her life. - Excerpt from Infrared 19.d She was acknowledged as competent even by people who do not like her. After The Firmament bombing her power was more rigid.She couldn’t initiate a good gravity well while airborne and moving. Not since the civilian squads had detonated the crystal and screwed up the powers. It was why she hadn’t been able to juggle Tristan’s rocks. Her wells were stronger, but slower to manifest, less flexible if she was moving around. - Excerpt from Infrared 19.e History Background Brianna triggered from the overwhelming pressure placed on her by her parents, as well as all the activities she took up at high school.“No, I… I played my role in shaping you. Telling you to be brave, to aspire to big things, how to talk to people. We’ve never talked about it, but that day you got your powers…” “That wasn’t you.” “Wasn’t it?” he asked, quiet. “When the government reached out to tell me what happened, I was proud. Scared but proud. They say you get powers if you achieve true greatness, true successes. You were managing clubs that seniors didn’t, singing in choir, you were popular, loved by your teachers, loved. You stood above all of them. Of course, I thought, and my heart swelled. I didn’t know how it would change your life and that terrified me, but it made sense that it would be you.” Brianna nodded, her eyes moist. “I opened the door to that room, and the window in the door showed me your reflection. I heard you crying. Not so different from that small girl who told me she didn’t want to go to school.” ... “The moment you got your powers, it wasn’t success.” “The damn expectations of that place. Of everyone,” she said. He winced. “I tried to convince myself that wasn’t it, ever since hearing you and seeing you at the door. I never really succeeded. I sent you there.” “Dad… you can’t do that.” “I can.” “Was it our expectations as well?” he asked. She shook her head, but when she moved her mouth, the words didn’t come out. “Yes.” - Excerpt from Interlude 19.d II Moonsong was a member of Team Reach before the world ended. She backed up Tristan's crusade against Paris. When Tristan 'murdered' his brother, Brianna was distraught. However, she was suspicious of Tristan, and ultimately set him up to reveal that he had been hiding Byron the entire time. Gold Morning She says that she held Furcate as "he" died. Likely participated along with everyone else. Glow-worm Got into contact with Capricorn again on a memorial thread for the fallen members of Reach. She was contentious with Tristan but cordial with Byron.Chat: TeamReach private chat TLDR: Cap and Moonsong make small talk and catch up before old animosity boil forth. They do not get along. As one example: Moonsong remarks she hoped Cap had died. *It's a chat for members of Team 'Reach'. Things open with days of Moonsong logging in and making minor changes before logging out. *Cap joins and Moonsong knows his name: Tristan. *Cap makes a curious 'every time' remark and notes the dark sense of humor the universe has. *We learn Cap has a brother & family. Cap & his family are in the city. Moonsong is too - her dad is a politician possibly running for mayor or city council. *Moonsong suspects Team Reach has no place in the post Gold Morning world. She still considers herself a member of the team from a personal identity standpoint. *According to Moonsong, the Wardens are the 'PRT-Like' group from before. They're bringing 'lots of teams' under their general umbrella, but moonsong is skeptical if it's working. *Cap's compliment to Moonsong for her phrasing (in reference to both the memorial post & articulation of the points above) is met by a negative response. 'Cap: since when were you so good with words?' / 'Moonsong: Since when did you pay attention to anyone but yourself?' From here, the conversation turns tense and sour. *Cap alleges that Moonsong is hiding barbs in her pleasantries. *Moonsong asks if she needs to worry about Cap. Cap says she's helped more than enough. *Moonsong casually remarks she hoped Cap had died. Cap is surprised by this, commenting on Moonsong's lack of humanity. *Cap starts to go on a tirade. Moonsong interjects a few times before giving up and letting him continue. The thrust of it from Cap's PoV: Moonsong was quick to decide she disliked him, her real thoughts on Furcate were badly disguised, she made Furcate more miserable than anyone. She never tried to understand Furcate or him. He suggests she is or was prejudiced, then wraps up by saying 'you wedged yourself into a situation you didn’t understand and you made it so much worse. / what guts me is you think you were right to do it.' *Moonsong's reply: she didn't like Furcate but she loved him (readers have drawn attention to the fact that Furcate was prior referred to as 'they/them' and Moonsong uses him here, with theorizing and speculation as to why). She held Furcate at the end. For a long time. I talked to him the entire time. *Both hold a dim view of the others' willingness to change their mind. Cap remarks "You're admitting you're wrong? Did the world end or something?" and gets a predictably negative response, for which Cap apologizes. Moonsong echoes him almost immediately after, "You're admitting you're wrong? What happened to you these past few years?" - to which Cap gives a negative response. *They agree the conversation isn't good or healthy. Moonsong cuts in to ask if she needs to come after Cap, and he gets frustrated, saying no. *Cap tells Moon to be quiet and leaves his own memorial statement for Coiffure and Furcate. He uses a Spanish affectionate term - azúcar - for Furcate and remarks on how Furcate was 'some of the best parts of the best days' - Coiffure is the reason/role model for why Cap wants to continue being a hero. He leaves the message for others to see if they visit chat. *Moonsong interjects after he's done, remarking, 'I wonder every day if I should have gone further and killed you.' - Cap gets frustrated that his nice words were spoiled by that and disconnects. ... Topic: TeamReach private chat, part II *A short segment to close the chapter. Cap rejoins chat. Is the mood different? *Cap rejoins the chat, same as before. Tribute is back (previously status unknown, as of the forum post above) and alarmed to see Cap ('fuck me') *Moonsong tells Tribute to calm down. ('It's fine'. Don't stress) *Cap's attitude may be markedly different. He greets Moonsong with 'hey moo - I wish I knew how you did that'. *Moonsong replies with 'Hi boo' have speculated on if this is tender or sarcastic *Cap mentions he was just talking to a kind of professional. *Moonsong is happy to hear this, maybe? - she ends the statement with 'I think'. She suggests meeting up and catching up. *Cap says he just wanted to 'say hi / maybe bye', ask Moonsong not to come after him. *Moonsong is fine with this - so long as the professional has things covered. The closing sentiment of the chapter. - Chapter Summary by Wildbow Early-Ward Moonsong was present there when Victoria was interviewing for the Attendant. Moon warned Victoria against engaging with the Fallen evangelists, but was disregarded and chided.Flare 2.1 Later Brianna met Victoria again when she was with a friend turned enemy.It was the moon girl, from my job interview with Attendant. She was the one who had urged me away from the Fallen. I was hardly enthused to see her either. “Tristan,” she said. “Tell me you’re not interviewing for a team.” “I’m not,” he said. “I’ve got the team already.” She pursed her lips together. “History, Moonsong?” someone asked. “Yeah,” Moonsong said. “Tribute knows.” - Excerpt from Glare 3.6 Post-Fallen fall With the attacks and later portal expansion she was able to rise higher in her team.“It’s bad news, I guess....I know you have issues with Moonsong. The Shepherds lost some members, and she impressed people enough that she’s getting promoted....Sorry again. I thought you should know before you ran into them,” Sveta said. “A promotion. She wasn’t my favorite person, but I always respected her talent. Reach- we had a lot of good capes. It doesn’t surprise me.” “What kind of promotion, do you know?” I asked Sveta. I could see her over my shoulder. “To a specific function, like team liaision, or a captain of a sub-team?” “Second in command of their first team. Which Weld said puts her third in command overall, somehow.” - Excerpt from Torch 7.3 While guarding the portal The Shepherds apparently got a call to leave and deal with an another attacking group, “I talked to them,” Dragon said. “They didn’t want to tip anyone off that something was wrong. They thought they would deal with this discreetly.” - Excerpt from Interlude 7.y II and the people that they were supposed to be guarding were left open to an attack from a flanking group. - Excerpt from Interlude 7.y II This led to them getting the share of the blame for the fatalities and property damage. Post-Goddess' Takeover She was, apparently, maimed by Cradle's whip in one of attacks that followed after The Navigators Incident. Post-Time Bubble Pop Byron Vera broke up with her. She was a representative from The Shepherds during banishment of uncontainable parahumans to another Earth. Post-Attack on Teacher Moonsong was present during the Second Shin Crisis.Sundown 17.7 She attempted to negotiate with the other side, albeit fruitless. She was more successful during the combat, countering early attacks of Shin capes, and with the help of Capricorn - Amy's worms.Sundown 17.8 The Ice Breaks When the ice broke, Moonsong was present with her team near Shin station when Victor triggered into a Titan. She was almost killed by it, but was saved by Scribe alongside the other Shepherds.Interlude 17.z II Moonsong and Shepherds were successful in removing the Nemean Titan from the battlefield, by forcing him into one of the cracks in reality.Infrared 19.d Moonsong was instrumental in recovering her team and civilian saboteurs from The Firmament when Titan Skadi attacked.Infrared 19.e Trivia * Wildbow has described how people can get gravity powers, it has a flavor of "losing your ground" in both literal and metaphorical sense. 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